La Caye Celebrates One Year of Serving Up Dishes From Haiti

Lafayette Avenue's La Caye will mark one year this weekend of serving the Fort Greene community-at-large traditional dishes from Haiti, and the restaurant is gearing up to pull out all the stops for this landmark anniversary.

"Memorial Day marks our one-year anniversary, and this year has been great," business manager Ronald Vincent told Patch. "The location has been incredible. We opened last year during DanceAfrica, and we had thousands of people coming by." 

And this weekend, Vincent is hoping for more of the same. La Caye's anniversary will again fall on BAM's DanceAfrica, the nation’s largest festival dedicated to African dance. The Festival brings together dance, music, film, and an array of community events for a celebration of culture from Africa and its diaspora, something Vincent said La Caye will capitalize on.

"There are so many Haitian residents in Clinton Hill and Fort Greene; so many migrated here in the '60s," Vincent said. "This is sort of home to them. That was a pleasant surprise finding such a big Haitian community."

In addition to bringing the heart of Haiti to the neighborhood, Vincent said the restaurant prides itself on its jazz band, which plays through every Sunday brunch from 12-3:30 p.m.

"We have a great jazz band that performs every weekend," he said. "It just seems to flow with the clientele and with the culture. It's just a warm, jazzy place to be." 

Expect to see the jazz band out in full force this weekend, as well as some other celebratory features. 

"There will be live music outside, and usually there's a really good mix of musicians that show up and play impromptu shows," he said. "Plus [there will be] vendors with Haitian artisans." 

He also noted traditional Haitian costumes will be on display and people will have a chance to sign up for an upcoming Carnivàle Mas Camp parade. 

"The backyard will also be open; last year at this time we didn't have the backyard ready," he said. "It gives us an opportunity to open up for more people, as this is a smaller place. Some cool sangria in the warm sun... it works."

As for what someone should try if they're stopping by the restaurant this weekend? "Poisson Rose, which is a red snapper in a Creole sauce, definitely the black mushroom rice and ​Fritaye," a deep fried pork dish, Vincent said.  

La Caye is located at 35 Lafayette Ave., across the street from the BAM Peter Jay Sharp building.